Lavender
Lavender
Jul 20, 2023

The One Who Got Away

You might have been my breath,
the offbeat of my heart, the pause

before I speak, the warm sensation
I feel as I walk in the sun.

I may have known you better,
known you as I know sand beneath

my feet, or water as it courses through
my fingers, or the heaviness of my eyes

as I fight to stay awake while writing this poem
about you, to you, for you.

We could have been overlapping shadows
meandering along the grasses, softly settling within the dusk,

waiting for another day to hold us, give us life
full of sounds, scents, playful words,

and silence. I would have liked to have known
you better. You might have been my breath...

the pause I take before I say your name
only to wonder why you aren't here.

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Editing - rough draft

About the Author

Country/Region: United States

Favorite Poets: I tend to read Ted Kooser

This user supports Neopoet so it can be free to all

More from this author

Comments

RoseBlack

The feeling of lost love...the one we never truly get over. I love the comparison to knowing the person as well as the feel of sand on your feet, water coursing through your fingers or the heaviness of your eyes. This whole poem is very tangible and emotive. Well done.

Lavender

Feeling a bit nostalgic late one evening and this poem found its way to my page. Thank you, as always, for reading and sharing!
L

Obadiah Grey

This is a great example of how to meld "CONTENT", formatting, and punctuation into real poetry!

If I were to be pedantic (errrrm, bit like Geez I guess) the bits I stumbled over was,,,,,

"as I fight to stay awake while writing this poem
about you, to you, for you.",,, and the word "like" in the following line.

Seriously great piece of poetry,,,, well done Lav !!!

Obi.

Lavender

This surfaced late one evening - like most heavy thoughts usually do. I will consider your suggestion regarding the "as I fight..." line. Maybe that is too distracting, or personal? I will gratefully take your suggestion to remove "like" as it flows and sounds much better without it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Lav

Candlewitch

if you haven't entered this for poem of the week, then you should do so!

*love, Cat

Ruby Lord

Very touching, I shuddered as I read it a second time. Lost love, I look backwards often. Sometimes I have to remind myself where I am and not where I might be.
I loved your use of enjambment in the lines. It's one of the best examples I have seen for a long time: It keeps the poems flow going and it also stopped me from breathing. Felt like I was asthmatic.
The emotions pour out of your words. I loved it, Ruby :)